What 2000 Year Old Thing Do Taylor Swift, Adele and Imagine Dragons Have In Common?

Taylor Swift, Adele, Imagine Dragons - these are some of the 21st Century’s most famous pop stars. Each of these artists has a modern sound and sings about modern problems… so what are they doing referencing a 2000+ year old Greek myth?

Champagne Problems by Taylor Swift, Easy On Me by Adele, and Gold by Imagine Dragons all make reference to the mythical King of Phrygia: Midas!

The story of King Midas is a well-known one with many different versions. Most of them go like this: King Midas finds the satyr Silenus lost and looks after him well until the god Dionysus, Silenus’ cherished student, finds him again. As a reward for his hospitality, Dionysus grants Midas a wish!

Midas wishes that everything he touches would turn to gold. At first, Midas is thrilled with his choice as he watches the contents of his palace turn to solid gold, but after he rejoices in his initial delight he sits down for a meal. As Midas attempts to break his bread -oh no!- it turns to gold, inedible. He uses a golden fork to to place a piece of fruit in his mouth but as it touches his tongue - gold once more! Panicking now, he reaches for his goblet and drinks his wine only to find liquid gold trickling down his throat.

King Midas quickly realises that his wish is actually a curse and he will starve to death if he can’t eat any food. Midas runs back to Dionysus and begs him to lift the curse; Dionysus, gracious, tells Midas that if he washes himself in the nearby river Pactolus he would lose his powers. Midas hastens to the river, plunges his hands into it and gold flecks form in the river as he returns to normal.

(English students: see how this short story has a clear beginning, middle and end?)

Let’s look at how Taylor Swift, Adele and Imagine Dragons use this myth in their songs:

Gold by Imagine Dragons uses the myth quite literally. Gold is about the negative side of being rich and famous: who are your real friends, and who is just using you for your resources? Gold refers to Midas’ discovery that wealth initially seems like a boon but may in fact be a curse.

Excerpt from Gold by Imagine Dragons

First comes the blessing of all that you've dreamed

But then comes the curses of diamonds and rings

Only at first did it have its appeal

But now you can't tell the false from the real

Who can you trust? (Who can you trust?)

When everything, everything, everything

You touch turns to gold, gold, gold

Everything, everything, everything

You touch turns to gold, gold

Ooh, gold, ooh, gold, ooh, gold, ooh, gold

In Easy On Me Adele sings about decisions she made when she was younger, presumably the decision to focus on her fame and career. She uses imagery from the myth of King Midas to suggest that it is a decision that came with unforseen harm to her life and loved ones. However, Adele subverts the myth by implying that she can’t lift the curse!

Excerpt from Easy On Me by Adele

There ain't no gold in this river

That I've been washin' my hands in forever

I know there is hope in these waters

But I can't bring myself to swim

When I am drowning in this silence

Baby, let me in

Go easy on me, baby

I was still a child

Didn't get the chance to

Feel the world around me

I had no time to choose

What I chose to do

So go easy on me

Finally, Taylor Swift’s reference to King Midas in Champagne Problems is little more than a name drop. The song is about realising that she didn’t want to marry her lover, and many aspects of him are discussed: both good and bad. The accusation that he is like Midas furthers her argument that while he might have seemed like an ideal partner, there was an imperfect side as well.

Excerpt from Champagne Problems by Taylor Swift

You had a speech, you're speechless
Love slipped beyond your reaches
And I couldn't give a reason
Champagne problems

Your Midas touch on the Chevy door
November flush and your flannel cure
"This dorm was once a madhouse"
I made a joke, "Well, it's made for me"

Even though we often feel like our culture is a long way away from the Ancient Greeks and Romans their mythology continues to enrich many works of English literature from Shakespere to Swift!